• Home
  • News
    • Politics & Government
    • Business & Economy
    • Crime / Courts
    • Health / Medicine
  • Sports
    • High School Sports
    • Radio Iowa Poll
  • Affiliates
    • Affiliate Support Page
  • Contact Us
    • Reporters

Radio Iowa

Iowa's Radio News Network

You are here: Home / News / Bear spotted roaming Grundy, Butler and Tama counties

Bear spotted roaming Grundy, Butler and Tama counties

April 19, 2017 By Radio Iowa Contributor

This bear had been see in northeast Iowa.

Residents of three neighboring counties in Iowa have reported bear sightings this week.

The Department of Natural Resources receives calls about bears in Iowa usually once or twice a year as they wander into the state from woods in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Everett Manship told KCRG-TV he enjoys searching for wildlife in rural Grundy County. On Monday afternoon, he found something unexpected — a young black bear — and snapped a few pictures.

“He was a pretty good sized, he wasn’t a cub, I would say at least 250 pounds,” Manship said. DNR Biologist Tim Thompson told KCRG-TV that bear sightings in Grundy, Butler and Tama counties in recent days likely involve the same animal. The bear’s family probably kicked him out and he’s now looking for fellow bears and food.

“That female isn’t going to want that younger, but adult-size bear when she has new cubs and it sort of gets kicked out. It’s just looking for its new territory and trying to establish itself,” Thompson said. Black bears aren’t known for being overly aggressive or destructive, according to Thompson. In most cases, the bear will make its way back home in just a few days.

“It seems like usually they disappear because they don’t find what they want (in Iowa) because they realize, ‘Oh there’s no bears down here,” Thompson said. Just in case, experts say it’s a good idea to be on the safe side and not get too close.

“Always give yourself some distance, don’t try to take a selfie, give yourself a few hundred yards,” Thompson said. Manship said he didn’t get closer than a half mile to the bear.

Photo courtesy of Everett Manship.

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Filed Under: News, Outdoors, Top Story Tagged With: Department of Natural Resources

Featured Stories

Congresswoman Axne favors Biden pandemic relief plan, Hinson not ruling out a ‘yes’

DOT plow crews struggling against blizzard conditions

Death penalty proposed for specific child murder cases

Iowa delegation breaks along party lines on Trump impeachment vote

Two northeast Iowa men admit to illegally harvesting ginseng

TwitterFacebook
Tweets by RadioIowa

UNI adds two nonconference games to basketball schedule

Iowa State-Kansas postponed

Iowa-Michigan State postponed

Fire damage to Riverfront Stadium electrical system will cost Waterloo thousands

Iowa State at Kansas State postponed

More Sports

eNews and Updates

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Archives

Copyright © 2021 ยท Learfield News & Ag, LLC